Spare key container



APril 7, 1964 w G. MCELVAIN 3,127,918

u SPARE KEY CONTAINER' Filed June 4, 1962 INVENTQR.

WAL TER 6. MCELVa/N @Y @wax M717 ATTORNEY United States Patent() 3,127,918 SPARE KEY CONTAINER Walter G. McElvain, P. 0. Box 2222, Pueblo, Colo. Filed June 4, 1962, Ser. No. 199,723 4 Claims. (Cl. 15G-40) This invention relates to a spare key container. The object of the invention is to provide a very low cost container which is simple in construction and efficient for its intended purposes.

Another object of the invention is to produce a spare key container which is externally smooth and thin in cross section so that it can be carried in a pocket or handbag and occupy minimum space.

Another object is to provide a spare key container in which the key is visible while retained in the holder.

The extreme simplicity of construction of my spare key retainer results from the use of a layer of pile material mounted on a flat thin support. The pile material may be plush, velvet or other material having a hair-like surface which is depressed by an object, such as a key, placed thereon. The material is mounted on the support so that the pile surface is exposed and provides a self-formed bed for the key. The support may be a thin cardboard, similar to a playing card, and the lower surface opposite that to which the pile material is attached may be used to carry an advertisement. A transparent sheet of plastic material covers the pile material or both the pile material and support, as desired.

The advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawing and the following description of the construction.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a spare key container embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view in the plane of the line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the container, showing the key supporting means is retracted position.

FIG. 4 is a View similar to FIG. 3 showing the key supporting means in partially withdrawn position relatively to its cover.

In that embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the spare key container comprises a iiat support made of thin cardboard or other suitable material, a layer of pile material 11 mounted on the upper surface of the support 10, and a thin ilexible transparent cover 12. As shown, the support 10 and layer of pile material 11 are identical in area and rectangular in shape, but they may be square or other shape. The transparent cover 12 preferably is light weight plastic material which covers the top of the4 layer 11 and bottom of the support 10, extending over the side edges as indicated at 13 and having the end edges open for placement and removal of a key 14 on the pile material 11. The cover 12 may be fastened to the bottom of the support 10, or may be an unattached open ended envelope held frictionally on the support 10 and pile material layer 11. The layer 11 may be glued or otherwise fastened to the support 10. As shown in the drawing, the cover 12 snugly overlies the pile material 11 and key 14, and thus aids in compression of the material by the key, and formation of a depressed bed for the key no matter where placed on the support.

The layer of pile material 11 may be velvet, plush or other material having a hair-like exposed surface which is compressible by an object, such as the key 14, placed thereon. As shown in FIG. 2, the key forms a depressed bed in the upper surface of the layer 11, leaving uncompressed the surrounding areas of the surface 11 which prevent unintended movement of the key. Compression of 3,127,918 Patented Apr. 7, 1964 ICC the pile material beneath the key automatically provides a depressed bed for the key whereby the upper surface of the key is in a plane only slightly above the uppermost surface of the surrounding area of the pile material, and the key container as a whole remains smooth and relatively thin.

Key engaging clips 15 may be mounted on the upper surface of the pile material 11, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, but I have ascertained by use of the spare key container that the pile material serves well to retain the key without the aid of the clips.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, the modiiied construction embodies a thin flat base 16 located beneath the support 10. A narrow strap 17 is attached at one end to the base 16 by a staple 18 or other fastening means. The strap 17 extends over the inner end of the support 10 and pile material 11, beneath the cover 12, and has its free end 19 protruding through a slot 20 in the cover 12. When the free end 19 is pulled outwardly through the slot 20, from the position of FIG. 3 to the position of FIG. 4, the support 10 with layer 11 and key 14 are withdrawn partially from the cover 12 to facilitate handling of the key. When the parts 10 and 11, with the key 14 thereon, are pushed back into the cover 12, the withdrawing strap 17 is returned to the position of FIG. 3.

Changes may be made in details and form of construction without departing from the invenion as defined in the appended claims.

Although the container structure described and claimed herein has been designated a spare key container, obviously it can be used to retain other flat objects such as coins, identication tags, and the like, and therefore the invention is not to be construed as restricted to the particular used described herein.

I claim:

1. A spare key container comprising (a) a flat support,

(b) a layer of pile material on the support, said material being depressible by a key placed thereon, that portion of the pile material surrounding the key serving to prevent unintended movement of the key, and

(c) a cover extending over the pile material and free at its ends for placement of the key between said cover and the pile material, said cover snugly overlying the pile material and key and thus aiding in depression of the material by the key and formation of a depressed bed for the key regardless of Where it is placed on the support.

2. A spare key container comprising (a) a at thin cardboard support,

(b) a layer of pile material mounted on the support,

said material being depressible by a key placed thereon, that portion of the pile material surrounding the key serving to prevent unintended movement of the key, and

(c) a flexible transparent open ended cover extending over the pile material and support and frictionally retaining the key on the pile material, said cover snugly overlying the pile material and key and thus aiding in depression of the material by the key and formation of a depressed bed for the key regardless of where it is placed on the support.

3. A spare key container comprising (a) a flat base,

(b) a at support resting loosely on the base,

(c) a layer of pile material mounted on the support, said material being depressible by a key placed thereon, that portion of the pile material surrounding the key serving to prevent unintended movement of the key,

(d) a exible open ended cover extending over the pile material and base,

(e) and means connected to the base and overlying the pile material for moving the support and pile material from retracted to partially withdrawn position relatively to the base and cover.

4. The spare key container dened by claim 3 in' which the means for moving the support and pile material from retracted to partially Withdrawn position consists of a narrow strap having one end connected to the base and having a free end extending through a slot in the cover.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wilson Apr. 4, 1916 Pratt Dec. 1, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS France June 18, 1945 

1. A SPARE KEY CONTAINER COMPRISING (A) A FLAT SUPPORT, (B) A LAYER OF PILE MATERIAL ON THE SUPPORT, SAID MATERIAL BEING DEPRESSIBLE BY A KEY PLACED THEREON, THAT PORTION OF THE PILE MATERIAL SURROUNDING THE KEY SERVING TO PREVENT UNINTENDED MOVEMENT OF THE KEY, AND (C) A COVER EXTENDING OVER THE PILE MATERIAL AND FREE AT ITS ENDS FOR PLACEMENT OF THE KEY BETWEEN SAID COVER AND THE PILE MATERIAL, SAID COVER SNUGLY OVERLYING THE PILE MATERIAL AND KEY AND THUS AIDING IN DEPRESSION OF THE MATERIAL BY THE KEY AND FORMATION OF A DEPRESSED BED FOR THE KEY REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT IS PLACED ON THE SUPPORT. 